Table Of ContentCandidate Handbook
October 2007
Preface
This handbook is intended principally for candidates who are intending to take Cambridge
ESOL’s Certificates in ESOL for Work. It has sections to help them familiarise themselves with
the skills, topics and tasks included in the test and gives advice on how to improve their
language skills and how to prepare for the test. Some of the information included in the
handbook may also be of use to teachers and to centres administering the ESOL for Work tests.
For further information about ESOL for Work, contact your nearest Cambridge ESOL, ESOL for
Work centre or contact Cambridge ESOL directly:
ESOL for Work
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
1 Hills Road
Cambridge
CB1 2EU
United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
www.ESOLforWork.org
Tel: +44 1223 553997
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Contents Page
1 Introduction 4
What is ESOL for Work? 4
What topics and situations are covered? 5
2 The Reading and Listening Test 6
What is in the Reading and Listening test? 6
How are the results reported? 7
How should you prepare for the Reading and Listening test? 7
What should you do during the test? 8
Sample questions 9
3 The Writing Test 13
What is in the Writing test? 13
How is the Writing Test assessed? 13
How are the results reported? 13
How should you prepare for the Writing test? 13
What should you do during the test? 14
Sample questions 15
4 The Speaking Test 17
What is in the Speaking test? 17
How are you assessed in the Speaking test? 17
How are the results reported? 17
How should you prepare for the Speaking test? 18
What should you do during the test? 19
Sample questions 20
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1 Introduction
What is ESOL FOR WORK?
The Cambridge ESOL Certificates in ESOL for Work are qualifications which are designed to
offer candidates relevant and reliable tests, and quick results. Cambridge ESOL is the leading
provider of English language qualifications in the UK, and has developed the new assessments
to meet the needs of employers, and to support migrant and settled workers who are in work or
intending to work in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Candidates’ English language competence is assessed through three separate modes: Reading
and Listening, Speaking, and Writing, using tasks which are relevant to employers and
employees in the workplace environment. These modes can be taken in any order.
For each mode completed, a candidate receives a Statement of Results with their scores
reported across National Qualifications Framework (NQF) levels Entry 1 to Level 3, and Council
of Europe Framework (CEF) levels A1 to C2. As ESOL for Work is currently accredited by the
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) at NQF levels Entry 3 and Level 1, certificates will
be awarded at these levels only. Certificates are issued by Cambridge ESOL when candidates
have successfully completed all three modes.
National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Council of Europe (CEF) Levels
Levels
Level 3 C2
Level 2 C1
Level 1 B2
Entry 3 B1
Entry 2 A2
Entry 1 A1
For more information on the National Qualifications Framework and the Council of Europe Framework levels, visit
Cambridge ESOL’s ESOL for Work website: www.ESOLforWork.org
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What topics and situations are covered?
The topics and situations covered include the following:
Personal information
Asking for and giving personal details (name, occupation, etc.)
Asking about and describing jobs and responsibilities
Asking about and describing a company and its organisation, staff etc.
Asking about and describing interests
Asking about and describing future plans
Asking about and describing learning experiences
The office, general work environment and routine
Describing daily routine and common work practices
Arranging appointments
Planning future events and tasks
Asking for and giving permission
Giving and receiving instructions
Predicting and describing future possibilities
Asking for and giving opinions
Agreeing and disagreeing
Making, accepting and rejecting suggestions
Expressing needs and wants
Discussing problems
Making recommendations
Justifying decisions and past actions
Making applications
Attending interviews and training
Relationships with employers, colleagues and customers
Discussing interests and leisure activities
Inviting, accepting and refusing offers and invitations
Thanking and expressing appreciation
Apologising and accepting apologies
Making and receiving enquiries, reservations, requests and complaints
Asking for and giving information about a product or service
Making comparisons, expressing opinions, preferences, etc.
Understanding and discussing prices and delivery dates, offers and agreements
Other work related topics
Administration
Catering, food and food hygiene
Computing and IT
Construction
Cultural issues, equality and diversity
Customer care
Health and safety in the workplace
Health and social care, hospitals
Office equipment and maintenance
Payment systems and incentive schemes
Products and services
Retail, consumer goods, shopping and prices
Tourism and hospitality
Training and training courses
Transport and delivery
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2 The Reading and Listening Test
The ESOL for Work Reading and Listening mode assesses your ability to use English in
the workplace. This mode of the test is taken on computer. Questions appear on screen
and you answer them by clicking on a particular option or by typing in words or phrases.
The computer-based Reading and Listening test is adaptive. This means that it adapts to
your level. If you get questions right, it will give you more difficult ones. If you get
questions wrong, it will give you easier ones. You can change your mind and change an
answer you have selected. However, once you move on to the next task, you can’t go
back to a previous one.
What is in a Reading and Listening Test?
There are eight types of question and they assess reading and listening skills, including
grammar and vocabulary knowledge. The computer test starts by testing your reading
language proficiency before starting the second section consisting of the listening part of
the test. The task types can come in any order within each part of the test. As the test is
adaptive, the length of the test will depend on your level of ability but it is usually
between 50 and 60 minutes long.
Reading Tasks
Read and Select Candidates are presented with a notice, diagram,
label, memo or letter containing a short text.
They choose a phrase that most closely matches
the meaning of that text.
Extended Reading Candidates read a longer text and answer a
series of multiple choice questions based on it.
The questions are presented in the same order as
the information in the text.
Multiple Choice Gap-fill Candidates choose the best word or phrase to fill
gaps in a text. There are usually four choices for
each gap.
Open Gap-fill Candidates complete blanks in a text by typing in
the missing word.
Gapped Sentences Candidates complete gaps in a sentence by
choosing the correct word or phrase. There are
usually four choices for each gap.
Listening Tasks
Listen and Select Candidates listen to a short recording and
answer a short multiple choice question. You
can hear each of the listening recordings twice.
Listen and Select (Graphic) The same as above, but the choice is between
three pictures or images. You can hear each of
the listening recordings twice.
Extended Listening Candidates listen to a longer recording and
answer a series of multiple choice questions
based on it. The questions are presented in the
same order as the information in the text. You
can hear the listening recordings twice.
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How are the results reported?
Your result on the computer-based Reading and Listening mode of ESOL for Work is
calculated immediately. The centre where you took the test will therefore be able to
provide you with a Statement of Results for this mode shortly after you have completed
it. The Statement of Results will report your performance as an NQF level (Entry 1 to
Level 3) and a CEF level (A1 to C2).
How should you prepare for the Reading and Listening test?
ESOL for Work tests your ability to use English in real-life workplace situations. So the
best way to prepare for the test is to practise using the language in realistic situations.
You should also familiarise yourself with the task types in the computer-based test by
looking at the sample questions in this handbook and on the ESOL for Work website:
www.ESOLforWork.org.
Reading
You should prepare for the Reading section by reading a wide variety of relevant
materials. You should practise reading extensively as well as intensively: “Extensively”
means reading lots of materials without stopping to check any difficult words or phrases,
while “intensively” means reading slowly and carefully, checking each unfamiliar word.
Some of the reading texts in ESOL for Work are quite long and you need to have
developed skills in quickly looking through a text to get the general meaning, and to pick
out answers to particular questions.
Sources of reading materials include language learning books – most publishers
produce good course books with a variety of workplace-related texts; newspapers and
magazines; graded readers (novels adapted for learners of English); texts on the
internet; and work-related brochures, advertisements, catalogues etc.
Some of the types of reading text included in ESOL for Work are:
letters office diaries
memos instructions, guides
informal messages, notes articles from newspapers, newsletters or
notices magazines
adverts charts
forms tables
brochures, catalogues graphs
product descriptions
Grammar and Vocabulary
ESOL for Work tests the vocabulary required for general communication at work. It does
not include specialised vocabulary for particular areas of business. A useful way of
developing your general and work vocabulary is to read a wide range of work-related
texts. Course books produced by international publishers also contain many useful
exercises for developing grammatical and vocabulary knowledge.
Listening
You should prepare for the Listening section by taking as many opportunities as you can
to listen to English used in real-life situations. Some useful sources of listening practice
are:
• your English language teacher
• your employer and colleagues
• talks, meetings, clubs, films
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• radio and TV broadcasts, e.g. BBC World Service and BBC English programmes
(contact BBC English, Bush House, Strand, London WC2B 4PH, UK for a free schedule)
• language learning cassettes: most international publishing companies produce excellent
cassettes which give you the chance to listen to a variety of native speakers
• there are many websites offering online listening opportunities and activities including the
BBC website and the British Council website.
Remember that it is the meaning of what you hear that is important, not the exact words said.
Concentrate on understanding the general meaning, before worrying about particular words
you could not hear or understand.
Some of the types of listening recordings included in ESOL for Work are:
face-to-face conversations
telephone conversations
answerphone messages
recorded information
interviews, discussions, presentations
verbal instructions and explanations
What should you do during the test?
• Relax - the test is designed to be easy to use. Some candidates lose marks
because they misread instructions in their nervousness.
• Pay close attention to the demonstration that plays before the test begins. This will
tell you how you should answer the questions.
• Read the instructions carefully.
• Do not hurry - answer questions carefully. Remember, you cannot review your
answers before finishing the test. Some candidates lose marks because they race
through the test. However, do not spend too long on a question - generally, the first
answer a candidate produces is the best one. Reading tasks do not require you to
understand every single word in the text.
• Keep an eye on the progress indicator which shows how far through the test you are.
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SAMPLE QUESTIONS
Below are some sample screens showing the types of question that are in the computer-
based Reading and Listening test. It is not possible to produce sample questions for a
whole test because it is adaptive, and each test is therefore unique.
Read and Select
Candidates are presented with a notice, diagram, label, memo or letter containing a
short text. They choose a phrase that most closely matches the meaning of that text.
Extended Reading
Candidates read a longer text and answer a series of multiple choice questions based
on it. The questions are presented in the same order as the information in the text.
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Multiple Choice gap-fill
Candidates choose the best word or phrase to fill gaps in a text. There are four choices
for each gap.
Open gap-fill
Candidates complete blanks in a text by typing in the missing word.
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